“It was my first metro drive and first winner, so I can’t complain with that,” says Jordan Leedham after the 18-year-old reinsman broke through for a memorable win at Tabcorp Park Melton tonight.
Leedham set Boy From Bondi free at the top of the straight and he careered away to win the WSM Plumbing Pace by five metres for trainer Wayne Potter, a second successive win at Victoria’s HQ for the seven-year-old gelding.
“I’ve driven him a couple of times,” Leedham said. “He kept working around and sitting outside them and pulling away from them in the end.
“Tonight when he was behind them, did very little work and was very hard on Jack (Laugher’s) back at the end, I thought I’ve got to get out as soon as possible.”
He did, working past leader Ozzie Battler to score comfortably from a valiant, second-placed Crime Writer, winning in a career best 1:51.9 mile rate and also producing a career best moment for the young reinsman.
“Originally I’m from Tasmania and moved over here,” Leedham told Trots Vision. “I never really had anything to do with horses, then I met Connor Clarke, who introduced me to Brock Gibson. He had a paddock full of ponies and said do you want to give it a go, and I said ‘yeah, why not’.
“I drove three years in the pony trots.”
Leedham then turned to driving at age 16 while working first at Kate Hargeaves and Alex Ashwood’s stable and then Andy and Kate Gath's, in which time he's had 305 starts for 37 wins.
“I’ve been going here and there, just taking every opportunity I can I guess. It’s been really good, everybody that’s helped me out along the way, I’m really appreciative of it.”